Additively Manufactured Multimaterial Cantilever for Electromagnetic Vibration Harvesting

This study presents a novel, additively manufactured, multimaterial vibration harvester that employs fused filament fabrication (FFF) and wire embedding. The device features a clamped-free cantilever design. We investigate the effects of the embedding height of the coil layer and the coil’s displacement within the layer on the cantilever’s eigenfrequency. These parameters enable tuning of the cantilever’s first resonance frequency within a range of 27 Hz without altering its dimensions. In addition, the embedded wire serves as a coil for energy harvesting. We determined the electrical power output under mechanical excitations of up to 3 g. Piezo jetting (PJ) is also explored as an alternative printing technique to fabricate a double-sided coil structure on the cantilever. Both printing techniques are discussed in detail.